Vettori admits he enjoys bowling in the ''home of spin''
New Delhi, Nov 8 (UNI) Describing India as the home of spin-bowling, New Zealand's left arm spinner Daniel Vettori today said despite their unpredictable nature, he enjoyed bowling on the tracks here.
''It's always very special to be in India. After all it is home of spin bowling and I love coming here. Obviously the pitches are very inconsistent. Sometimes they are pretty flat but overall it's always a nice experience to bowl here,'' Vettori told UNI on the sidelines of a promotional campaign here.
The left-armer said apart from cricket, the other reason he likes to be in the country is food, which despite being a bit too spicey is delicious.
''I love Indian food. It's wonderful. of course sometimes it's a bit too hot for my taste and we struggle but I enjoy it,'' he said.
The 29-year-old, whose batting heroics almost took New Zealand to the finals of the Champions Trophy, said he was disappointed that he could not take his side to victory against eventual champions Australia.
''Obviously it is very disappointing. We were six down for 30 odd but I thought we had a chance when me and Jacob (Oram) were batting.
But the end result just goes on to show that we have to be more consistent to compete with a team like Australia which is very strong,'' he said.
Being groomed to take over the reigns of New Zealand team after Stephen Fleming's retirement, Vettori said he was looking forward to the opportunity to lead the Blackcaps in the time to come.
''I have captained the side in Stephen's absence and that has helped me pick up valuable experience. Of course I have been playing with Stephen for more then 10 years now and he has been great teacher to me and I have learnt a lot from him,'' he said, praising his skipper.
Vettori said apart from picking up leadership skills, he -- along with Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills -- was also trying hard to fill in the all-rounder's gap left by Chris Cairns.
''Chris has been around for a very long time and certainly it is very hard to fill in the void left by a player of his calibre. But me, Oram and Mills are trying hard to mould ourselves,'' he said.
Eyeing the lucrative Indian market which offers him the chance of choosing a brand of his liking, Vettori said he wants to take up more advertising opportunities here.
''The advertising and endorsement scene here is slightly different from New Zealand. I can choose what I want to endorse here. There are more opportunities,'' he said.
An avid reader and a football fan, Vettori said away from cricket the two hobbies keep him occupied.
''I love reading and watching football. I like to follow the English Premiere league and my favourite team is Liverpool,'' he said.
The left-armer chuckled when asked about his female following and said though he felt nice about it, he wanted fans of all genders.
''Thanks for telling me that. It's flattering but I would want fans of all the genders,'' he said with a smile.
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